FAQ's

Frequently Asked Questions

The sheer number of files we receive coupled with the enormous size of the files we receive every day is simply too much for any network to handle and would require more bandwidth than is reasonable. This is why we only use the File Transfer utility mentioned above in emergency situations in which an overnight disk is not an option. Please contact your account rep if you find yourself in this situation.

WILL I SEE PROOFS BEFORE MY GRAPHICS ARE PRINTED?

Yes. You will receive pdf proofs that will be emailed to you by the artist assigned to your project when your layout is ready to print. We will not print your graphics until we have received approval from you via email or phone call. If you purchased a Print Proof, your account rep will send it to you personally.

WHAT IS A VECTOR FILE?

A vector file is a digital image that is created using geometrical primitives such as points, lines, curves, and polygons, which are all based upon mathematical equations to represent an image. This type of file, being not based upon a finite number of pixels like a raster image, is resolution independent and is scalable to any size without loss of clarity. Common file extensions are .eps and .ai. Common design programs for working with vector files are Adobe Illustrator, Freehand and CorelDraw.

WHAT IS A RASTER FILE?

A raster file is a digital image created from a generally rectangular grid of pixels. Common file extensions are .tif, .psd, and .jpeg. There are many attributes that may define a raster graphic, such as color mode and bit depth; however the most important for our purposes are the relationship between the image's actual size in inches and the resolution of the image in dots per inch (dpi).

Our optimal printing resolution on an average is 100dpi. So, for your 24" wide x 36" high graphic to print with optimal clarity, your raster image should be 24" wide x 36" high at 100dpi.

Let’s say you have an image that is 8" wide x 12" high at 300 dpi. Will it work for printing a 24" wide x 36" high graphic? Sure, because the file's resolution or dpi is 3 times larger than our printing resolution. This will allow us to use these extra pixels to scale the image up to 3 times its size, which will in turn resample the images resolution to our recommend printing resolution of 100 dpi.

WHERE CAN I BUY PHOTOS FOR USE IN MY DESIGN?

There are many companies who sell stock photography just for this purpose. Prices usually range from $100-$400 per image. Image prices usually vary by image resolution. The higher the resolution the pricier the image. However, for large format graphics, it usually best to buy the largest image available, otherwise your graphics may lack clarity when printed. When purchased the images are usually downloaded from the company's website. Most of these websites have search engines, which will allow you to enter key words by which to search for the type of images you need.

WHERE DO I SEND MY DISKS?

All artwork on disk should be sent to the attention of your account rep and the following address:

The Godfrey Group 4102 S, Miami Blvd Durham, NC 27703

Please include your name, company name and phone number as well as color prints of your artwork.

WHY DO YOU REQUEST BOTH FLAT AND LAYERED VERSION OF PHOTOSHOP FILES?

Flat versions are printed and manipulated much faster but do not offer flexibility for making changes or color correction if necessary. So, if no edits need to be made to your file, we use the flat version. However if for any reason we need to make edits, the layered version will allow us to do so.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CMYK AND RGB COLOR?

Both are acronyms. CMYK stands for the colors Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black. RGB stands for the colors Red, Green and Blue.

RGB is the color system used for photography, television and computer monitors because these devices are based on emission of light. CMYK is used for printing because it is based upon reflection of light.

The RGB color space can produce more colors than the CMYK space, so artwork created in RGB for printing on a CMYK device, may contain colors that will not print as they appeared when viewing them on your computer monitor.

This is why we recommend creating or converting your art to CMYK and viewing it before it is sent to us. When converted to CMYK, even though you are looking at it on your monitor, it will attempt to show you visually what your art will look like when printed on a CMYK device.

WHAT IS A PANTONE OR PMS COLOR?

This is a color which is part of the Pantone Matching System. The Pantone System is a series of color swatch books, printed on one side with a series of related color swatches. For instance, a particular "page" might contain a number of yellows varying in luminance from light to dark. The idea behind the PMS is to allow designers to 'color match' specific colors when a design enters production stage - regardless of the equipment used to produce the color. This system has been widely adopted by graphic designers, reproduction and printing houses for a number of years now.